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DAMAGING WINDS, BEACH EROSION AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FOR THE MOUNTAINS LATE SUNDAY AND EARLY MONDAY************************************************************************************************************

This is the time of year when the damp Northwest chill REALLY starts to get into your bones...

Sunday will begin with scattered showers, but the rain will intensify as a tightly wound storm enters the region by the afternoon. Rain will increase and become moderate to heavy late in the day, especially near the beaches. Highs will hit the low 40s at best, and with gusty south winds beginning to kick in by evening, it will feel even colder.

The most intense winds should begin after midnight and continue into Monday morning as the low--the root of this storm--nears the Olympic Peninsula. South winds could roar to 70 mph near the beaches, and could gust between 45 and 60 mph around the Sound. This wind storm may be the strongest of the season so far, and if it materializes as forecast, the winds may be damaging...bringing down trees and resulting in power outages. A HIGH WIND WATCH is in place for Sunday night and Monday morning, and this will likely be upgraded to a WARNING as the storm gets closer and the forecast more certain.

With the heavy rain combining with high tides into early Monday, high waters near the shoreline and beach erosion are possible, and a COASTAL FLOOD WATCH is in place for the waterways around Puget Sound.

As the storm passes over the Cascades, driving snow and high winds will make for blizzard-like conditions over the passes, and travel will be very difficult. A WINTER STORM WATCH is in place from Sunday night to Monday night, as another 18 to 36" of snow is expected in that time frame over the Cascades. The snow level will be around 2,500' on Monday, and lowland temperatures will stay in the low 40s for Seattle and Tacoma.

Things will calm down by Monday night, but even cooler air will fill in to the region at that point. Some of the lingering showers Monday night and throughout the day on Tuesday will include bursts of lowland snow. Highs on Tuesday may not make it out of the upper 30s for Seattle and Tacoma.

Wednesday looks slightly warmer and much wetter again as a new December storm barrels into the Northwest. Cold scattered showers will follow for the rest of the week, with highs mainly in the low 40s.